The benefits of whole wheat have been known for years. But, its health benefits depend on the form in which you are consuming it. Processed wheat does not contain the best parts of the grain. During the processing of the grain, 40% of its original content is removed, making it less nutritious.

100% whole wheat food contain the wheat germ and the bran. So, when you eat the whole wheat food, you gain the many wonderful health benefits that come with the grain. Whole wheat in its original form is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber, manganese and magnesium.

Some of the many benefits of whole wheat are mentioned here:

Skin Benefits Of Whole Wheat

Whole grain foods, including whole wheat, are well-known for the many amazing benefits that they provide to the skin. The grains are unrefined and contain all the essential nutrients that contribute to beautiful and healthy skin. Let us take a look at some of the ways in which whole wheat flour benefits your skin:

1. Provides Nourishment

The selenium present in whole grains, including whole wheat, does amazing things for your skin. One of the skin benefits you gain when you eat whole wheat is nourished skin that is made possible by the antioxidant properties of selenium.

2. Protects Against Sun Damage

The antioxidant properties of whole wheat protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. It also protects the skin from other environmental damages.

3. Provides Beautiful Skin

Who does not want beautiful, radiant skin? Well, with the whole wheat foods, you can get just that! The Vitamin E and zinc present in whole wheat will give you beautiful, healthy and glowing skin.

4. Promotes Skin Elasticity

Selenium is a mineral that offers wonderful effects to your skin. Acting as a natural anti-aging agent, selenium offers you a radiant skin. It also retains your skin’s elasticity.

6. Prevents Skin Cancers

Hair Benefits Of Whole Wheat

Like skin, your hair too needs foods that are healthy and nutrient-rich to be strong and problem-free. With the minerals and vitamins present in whole wheat, your hair too can get the benefits.

7. Makes Hair Lustrous

Whole wheat has zinc content. One of the many powers of this mineral is the ability to give you healthy and lustrous hair.

8. Protects Hair From Damage

Zinc also helps in nourishing your hair, keeping it safe from damages caused by the environment and other health-related factors.

Health Benefits Of Whole Wheat

Adding whole wheat to your diet can be one of the best decisions you make for your health. It has a bounty of essential nutrients that can improve your overall health. It can also prevent and cure many diseases and illnesses.

Let’s have a brief look on whole wheat health benefits:

9. Provides Energy

The Vitamin B present in whole wheat provides your body with the energy it needs to function properly. This means that your body functions more efficiently, and so do you!

11. Reduces The Risk Of Heart Diseases

Making whole wheat, and other whole grains, a part of your daily diet is known to keep away coronary heart diseases at bay. Experts recommend 6 ounces of whole grain a day for women while men should consume about 8 ounces every day.

12. Boosts Eye Health

The Vitamin E, niacin and zinc in whole wheat lowers the risk of macular and cataract degeneration. They also help in slowing the progression of loss of vision. This is an amazing benefit of whole wheat.

13. Helps Diabetics

The high fiber content of whole wheat makes it the ideal grain for those who suffer from diabetes. It helps in maintaining blood glucose level in a diabetic’s body.

14. Cleanses Your System

An increase in the consumption of whole wheat foods helps in treating constipation. The fiber in the grain detoxifies your system and helps in keeping your colon and intestines healthy.

15. Prevents Breast Cancer

According to research, women who eat a high-fiber diet can keep breast cancer away. Foods that are produced from whole grains, such as wheat flakes, protect pre-menopausal women from this type of cancer. This is certainly a good reason to switch to wheat flakes if you have not already done so.

16. Reduces Weight Gain

Whole wheat is a popular grain choice among weight-watchers as it helps in preventing weight gain. The consumption of whole wheat food products helps in improving your metabolism, making it easier for you to shed those unwanted extra pounds. They also keep you full longer than other food types as they have more fiber content.

17. Improves Mental Health

According to the studies conducted by researchers at University of Maryland Medical Center, Vitamin E and the B vitamins present in whole wheat may help you in preventing diseases that cause a mental decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

18. Regulates PMS Symptoms

The B Vitamins in whole wheat and other whole grains are known to ease PMS symptoms. Magnesium, which is found in whole grains, is also known to be beneficial for PMS-related symptoms.

19. Prevent Stroke

If your chances of having a stroke are high, you should choose wheat flakes over other breakfast cereals. When you opt for a high-fiber breakfast cereal, you minimize the risk of strokes as well as cardiovascular disease. To prevent these chronic conditions, eat wheat flakes with yogurt or non-fat milk and add a piece of fruit as well.

21. Lower Chronic Inflammation

The betaine found in wheat helps in minimizing chronic inflammation. Hence, eating wheat flakes can help in the prevention of this problem, and also helps in lowering the risk of other conditions like cognitive decline, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.

22. Prevent Colon Cancer

A majority of the wheat flakes benefits have to do with their high fiber content, which promotes regular and proper waste elimination from the body. This is the reason it has been found to be important in the prevention of colon cancer. Experts recommend 20 to 25 grams of dietary fiber every day for men and women.

23. Packed With Nutrients

Wheat flakes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, D and E as well as minerals including iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and magnesium. This means that by adding wheat flakes to your daily diet, your body gets all the essential nutrients to function properly and stay healthy.

24. Redistribution Of Fat

Although eating whole grains does not necessarily mean that you are going to lose weight, studies do indicate that it helps to cut down the amount of body fat and leads to healthier fat distribution. Eating whole grain bread reduces the risk of gaining belly fat or central adiposity, a condition that increases the risk of different health woes including diabetes.

25. Lowers Cholesterol

Whole grains prevent the body from absorbing bad cholesterol and also lower the triglycerides, which otherwise would result in heart diseases. Rather, food prepared from whole grains has been known to cut down the risk of heart disease. According to a survey, women who ate three servings of whole grain foods such as whole wheat bread were 30 % less at the risk of contracting heart disease or dying of a heart attack as compared to those who ate less whole wheat products per week.

26. Lowers Blood Pressure

Whole wheat bread is also known to lower blood pressure, a condition that is one of the main causes of heart disease. A study has revealed that men who ate more servings of whole wheat breakfast faced 19% less risk of hypertension. Another study conducted on women says that eating whole wheat bread and other whole grain food products substantially reduces the blood cholesterol, insulin level, and blood pressure, thereby minimizing the risk of heart disease.

27. The Feeling Of Fullness

Whole wheat bread can control weight gain by keeping you feeling full for a longer time as compared to white bread or cookies made from refined flour. Since whole grains require more time to digest, their satiating effects last longer. According to Gans, the author of The Small Change Diet, whole wheat bread helps to keep the portions under control. For maximum fullness and extra proteins, you can add sesame seeds during the preparation of the bread.

28. Rich Source Of B Vitamins

Whole grains are loaded with all types of B vitamins including thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin, which are extremely helpful in boosting metabolism. Another type of vitamin B known as folic acid or folate is known to help the body form red blood cells that are critical for preventing some common birth defects in babies.

There is really no end to the benefits that you get when you increase your intake of whole wheat on a daily basis. There are many food products that are made of whole wheat to choose from. It makes easy for you to add it to your diet. Various types of whole wheat bread, pasta, cereals, etc. are available if you want to consume more whole wheat foods. You can even make your favorite desserts and sweet treats with whole wheat flour to provide better health to your entire family!

Tips On Cooking/Usage

Wondering how to pep your meal times with whole wheat? Here are some recipe ideas to help you out!

1. Yummy Bread With Fig, Walnut, And Date

What sounds better than bread that has the goodness of whole wheat, figs, walnuts, and dates? This is a simple recipe that is not hard to make. So give it a try!

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup chopped dried figs

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the low-fat buttermilk, lemon rind, nutmeg and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat. Make sure you do not let it boil. Add the figs and dates as you remove the pan from the heat and let it stand while they become soft.

Take a bowl and blend the oil, sugar and eggs with a whisk until the mixture is well-blended. Take the cooled buttermilk mixture and add it to the bowl.

Now take the flours and salt and baking powder and mix them in a large bowl. Add in the buttermilk mix and stir until it gets moist. Next, take the batter and spoon it on an 8×4 cooking spray-coated loaf pan and sprinkle chopped walnuts.

Bake it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Once it is baked, let the pan cool and remove the bread. Cool the bread again on a rack and serve it when you want!

2. Glorious Breakfast Muffins

There is nothing quite like starting your day with a wholesome breakfast treat, and these muffins are exactly that!

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup regular oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon wheat bran

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 cup chopped pitted dates

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple

3 tablespoons ground flax seed

1 large egg

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Take 18 muffin liners and muffin cups and spray them with cooking spray.

Mix the flours together and add the oats, sugar, bran, soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk.

Mix the egg, banana, and yogurt and add it to the flour mix and stir until it is slightly moistened.

Now, fold in the pineapple, walnuts, and dates into the mixture.

Next, spoon the batter into your muffin cups and sprinkle with the flax seed.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

When baked, remove the muffins from the baking pan and cool them on a rack.

Once they have cooled, you can serve them and enjoy the goodness of these delicious, hearty muffins!

3. Sinful Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Enjoy a sinfully delicious dark chocolate treat that is filled with the wholesome goodness of whole wheat flour!

Ingredients

9.5 ounces whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup unsalted almonds

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix and whisk the flour, baking soda, flax seed, and salt.

Mix the egg, egg whites, and sugars in a bowl and whisk for two minutes at high speed in a blender.

Now add the flour and the egg mixtures together and fold in the chocolate and almonds.

Divide the dough into three portions equally and roll each portion to make a 6-inch roll.

Take the rolls and place them three inches apart on parchment paper and pat them to make them about one inch thick.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes.

When they are firm, take them out and let them cool on a rack.

Once cool, cut them diagonally into ½ inch pieces.

Place them on a baking sheet and reduce your oven’s heat to 325 degrees.

Let them bake on either side for 7 minutes each.

Now remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack.

Once they are ready, you can munch on the cookies any time you want and let the goodness of whole wheat fill your body!

There are plenty of scrumptious delicacies that you can prepare with whole wheat flour. They are easy to make, and you can be certain that everyone in your family will love them. Add it to your daily diet and enjoy the many benefits of whole wheat flour to stay healthy and strong for many years to come!

Does your daily diet include whole wheat? Do you have some interesting recipes? Share with us in the comments section below.